Salt shaker



June 18, 19-40. s N 2,205,040

sAL'T SHAKER Filed May 16, 1938 j 62 j W Patented June 18, 1940 UNITED s'r Tas PATENT OFFICE Vincent A. main, Houston, Tex. I Application May 16, 1938, Serial No. 208,290

2 Claims.

operation; to provide a novel form of closure which is detachably engaged with the salt receptacle in the usual manner, but which includes a double cap construction to more eflectively prevent the entrance of moisture into the receptacle, at the same time reinforcing the cap or closure and providing a more ornate closure.

After much experiment, I have found that by use of a double cap arrangement, a more effective seal is provided against the entrance of moisture into the shaker body, it being also advisable to provide means in' the cap to prevent the accumulation of salt and likewise preventing caking of the salt in the closure.

It is also within the contemplation of the present invention to provide a closure including a salt sieve, the closure and sieve being loosely connected by a member which serves the dual capacity of a. valve for the closure and an agitator or heater for the salt sieve.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the present preferred forms of the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawing. wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a salt shaker constructed in accordance with the present invention wherein a cone shape sieve plate is mounted on top of the receptacle and within the confines of the cap,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a modified form of shaker wherein a double closure is provided, the inner part of the closure being formed to provide a sieve,

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the form of closure illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing,

Fig. 4 is a detail fragmentary sectional view of a shaker showing another form of my invention wherein a double closure is employed,

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the form of closure shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing, and

Fig. is a detail fragmentary sectional view of another modified form of the invention.

Inthe form of invention illustrated in Fig. l, a shaker or receptacle 6 is shown which may be made of any suitable material and is provided with a screw threaded neck I, with which a closure unit 8 is adapted for detachable engagement. The closure unitincludes a cone shape foraminous plate or sieve 9 mounted on the open end of the neck I and clamped thereto by the cap or 5 dome I 0. The cap I0 is provided with screw threads I I which engage the threads of the neck 1.

I provide suitable means I2 to loosely, connect the sieve 9 and cap Hi, this means also serving the purpose of a valve l3 to close a dispensing 10 opening in the cap l0 and an agitator or heater M which is adapted to intermittently strike or beat the sieve 9 during the shaking operation. The means I: may be formed from a rod or bar, the

elements l3 and I4 being spherical enlargements 15 on the terminals of the bar. Upon reference to Fig. l of the drawing, it will be noted that the valve l3 complements and is adapted for engagement with a seat formed in the top of the cap or dome Hi. The means l2 provides a gravity 20 closed valve as well as a salt agitator for the closure unit. It is, of course, understood that by making the sieve 9 cone shape, the tendency of the salt will be to gravitate toward the center of the latter when salt is being dispensed from the g5 shaker, it being at this point that the agitator or beater l4 operates, the sieve being completely within the confines of the cap I0.

In the form of invention illustrated in Figs. 2

and ,3, a closure unit 8' is shown which is similar 0 in construction to the unit 8, but in addition embodies a double cap arrangement for use with a slightly diflerent type of salt shaker. In the salt shaker shown in Fig. 2, a screw threaded neck I is shown which is provided with an in the base of the neck below the screw threads. The annulus protrudes beyond the periphery of the screw threads, but lies well withinthe vertical plane of the shaker periphery. The unit 8' includes an inner cap lfi and an outer cap IT. The 40 cap it is provided with screw threads engageable with the threads of the neck I. The cap I6 also includes a foraminous portion which serves as a salt sieve 9'. The lower end of the cap I1 is formed to provide an annular skirt i8 which 5 surrounds the screw threaded portion of the cap l6 and depends below the latter for snug engagement with the annulus l5, therebyproviding a seal between theclosure unit and salt receptacle.

Suitable means I2 is engaged with the closure 50 unit 8' and is adapted to serve in the same capacity as the meana l2, above described, in connection with the form of invention illustrated in Fig. 1. If desired, the means I 2' may be employed for loosely connecting the caps l6 and I1. I preannulus I5 35 fer, however, and have found from experiment that with this form oivinvention better results are obtained by fixedly securing the cap l6 within the cap II. This may be done in any conventional manner. I also, in this form of invention, prefer to slightly dip outwardly the foraminous portion of the cap I6 in the center of the latter. Also instead of the spherical valve I3, I prefer to employ a truncated cone shape type of valve 13' which engages a complemental seat formed in the top of the cap I! around the dispensing opening of the latter.

In the form of invention shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawing, a receptacle neck, as shown in Fig. 2, is employed. A closure unit 8 is shown in this form of invention which is engageable with the shaker neck in the same manner as the closure unit 8. In the present form of invention, I eliminate the foraminous portion of the inner cap and provide an opening I9, the wall of which extends appreciably within the inner periphery of the shaker neck. I also, in this form of invention, employ a modified form of valve and agitator means, which is designated I2 This means consists of a relatively short rod or bar,

the inner end of which is equipped with cross spreader bars 20, the outer end being provided with a valve l3 of similar configuration to that shown in the form of invention illustrated in Fig. 2. In the present form of invention, during the dispensing operation, the salt is adapted to impinge the spreader bars and to be agitated by the latter in an apparent manner, the bars also intermittently contacting the inner wall of the closure cap during this operation.

In the form of invention illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawing, I provide a dome closure H) which has mounted therein a foraminous cap 9 The dome is provided with an opening in its apex around which is mounted a cage 21, the latter being formed integrally with or secured to the dome, in any suitable manner, a ball I3 being rounded within the cage to close the opening of the dome. It is, of course, understood that when the salt shaker is tilted the ball will be unseated from its opening for dispensing the contents of the shaker. When the shaker is set in an upright position the ball will gravitate to its seat.

While I have herein described preferred forms of my invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that various changes may be made in the details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts. It is also to be understood that although the invention has been particularly described as being adapted for use as a salt shaken I am well aware that the invention is susceptible of various other uses within the scope of the claims hereto appended.

What is claimed is:

1. A salt shaker including a receptacle, 2. closure unit for said receptacle embodying a cap,

sieve and means extending axially through the cap and sieve and loosely connecting the same together, said cap being semi-spherical and provided with a dispensing opening in its crown normally closed by said means, said sieve being of cone shape and extended upwardly into the cap but terminating at a point remote from the top of the cap.

2. A salt shaker including a receptacle with a screw threaded neck and an annulus on the neck of a diameter in excess of the diameters of the screw threads, a closure unit for the receptacle including an inner screw threaded cap engageable with the screw threads of the neck and an outer cap encasing said inner cap and equipped with a skirt portion a part of which extends beyond the inner cap and snugly engages the periphery of the neck annulus to provide a seal, and

a valved dispensing opening in said closure unit.

VINCENT A. KASIN. 

